


Sanctified

by SageMcMae



Series: Sage's Oneshots [12]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Angel/Human Relationships, Angels vs. Demons, Angst with a Happy Ending, Demon Snoke, Devoted Reylo, F/M, Fallen Angels, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Guardian Angel Rey, Human Disaster Ben, Light Angst, Protective Rey (Star Wars), Soft Ben Solo, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-05-18 09:18:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19331647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SageMcMae/pseuds/SageMcMae
Summary: Rey has always enjoyed watching over humanity. Their blissful ignorance, their short-life spans, their capacity for love -- but her newest assignment is testing her loyalty.Ben Solo is a walking disaster. From the moment he is born he causes her problems, probably because he's a Skywalker. Their entire line has been a headache for guardian angels across the cosmos. And now the sole heir is all hers. Hers to watch over. Hers to protect. Hers to keep safe.When Rey discovers the cause of Ben's misfortune -- the demon Snoke -- she has to decide what she's willing to sacrifice in the name of the Light.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my beta, [ RebelRebel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelRebel/pseuds/RebelRebel/works) for beta-ing this fic. Check out her amazing 'Breakfast Club AU' [Don't You Forget About Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18614290/chapters/44137612).
> 
> She also made a stellar trailer video, which you can find [HERE](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/post/185897764082/sanctified-a-reylo-one-shot-rey-has-always)

When Ben Solo was born in Hanna City Memorial, his parents were surrounded by close family and friends all celebrating the birth of their first child.

 

No one was as proud as his father, Han Solo, who boasted about all the things his son would do, namely following in his footsteps to become a great pilot. He imagined cutting through the clouds on their way to new destinations. Han, who had been a rogue on the wrong side of the law for years, was currently a cargo carrier who worked for the same state office as his wife. 

 

Ben’s mother, Leia Organa, was less talkative after the grueling 28-hour labor she’d undertaken to bring him into the world. She didn’t argue with her husband, at least not aloud, though her hopes for her son further varied from Han’s. Leia saw her son as the light in the dark and believed he’d take up her mantle as a senator. She wanted him to be a champion for the underdog, which was how she saw herself. 

 

His uncle, Luke Skywalker, Leia’s twin brother, envisioned Ben choosing a life of peace away from the politics of the city or the risks of flying too close to the sun. He’d spent his earlier years aiding his sister in her pursuits and helping Han transition. After seeing one too many betrayals, Luke opted to leave the high-powered world of politics to dedicate himself to teaching mindfulness in a small community miles away. He wanted Ben to lead such a life. 

 

It seemed everyone had plans for the last Skywalker, including his guardian angel, Rey.

 

From on high, Rey watched her latest assignment sleepily curl into his mother’s embrace. He looked to be the perfect child, with his alabaster skin and a full head of raven black hair. She could tell he would grow into a handsome man, like his father.

 

It was a source of pride for Rey, welcoming another charge under her care. She loved humanity almost as much as she loved watching over them. There was something beautiful about how delicate they were.

 

Unlike her, their existence had an expiration date. It made their short days all that more important. Where some squandered their time on useless pursuits, there were others who cherished it for the gift it was. It was those mortals she was most interested in, the ones who saw beyond themselves and sought to serve the greater good.

 

She hoped Ben Solo would be one such mortal. 

 

* * *

 

As fate would have it, Ben was special but not in the way Rey had anticipated.

 

Wherever the child went, a dark cloud followed him. When he was three months old, Ben got pneumonia. The fluid in his lungs was so bad that the doctor informed his parents it would be a miracle if he made it through the night. While Leia wept in her bedroom and Han downed a decanter of Corellian whiskey, Rey sat in the nursery by Ben’s crib.

 

Her golden wings, made of pure light, hung over her shoulders like a cloak. They shimmered in the night, a warm halo glowing in the darkness, wrapping around the crib and the child contained within.

 

She sang him all the lullabies she could remember from her time spent watching over Earth. Some were in ancient tongues no longer practiced, while others were more modern. Ben’s rich chocolate eyes watched her with pure fascination the entire time. 

 

Rey stayed with him through the evening, a radiant pillar amidst the darkness surrounding the child. Her voice never tired. Each song blessed him with strength and comfort, coaxing him to sleep so his body could fight off the illness threatening his life.

 

When the sun rose the next morning, Rey disappeared with the first beam of light that flickered into the nursery. A moment later, Leia rushed into the room to find her son smiling up at her. From her spot on high, Ben Solo’s guardian angel watched the interchange with a smile. 

 

From that moment on, Rey had her work cut out for her.

 

When Ben was three, Leia was running for her second term in office and Han was flying overseas. The nanny they’d hired was inattentive. She was more interested in laying out by their pool than watching their toddler. She didn’t notice him coming down the steep stone pavers. But Rey did. He fell running down the steps and broke his arm. Thanks to Rey, it wasn’t his neck. The next day, the nanny was gone. 

 

When he was five, and on his second nanny — also inattentive — he made the mistake of thinking the rattlesnake in the backyard was a tree branch. Rey brushed her wings across the nanny’s shoulders, scaring the young woman half to death, but also causing her to look out the window. Spotting Ben lying in the grass, she hurried outside and proceeded to call 911. While they drove to the hospital, Rey sat next to Ben, tucking him and his booster seat under her wing. 

 

When he was ten, his nanny was replaced by Artoo, one of Leia’s advisors. The short older gentleman was careful with the child. Despite his snarky remarks, Rey liked him out of all of the guardians Leia and Han had appointed. Of course, not even Artoo could prevent an accident from happening. 

 

It was a beautiful spring day. Rey had just finished watching one of her older assignments celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary at the park. Jyn Erso-Andor and her husband, Cassian, were former military turned civilians. They’d shed their hard personas after their service, finding a new beginning together in the quiet town of Jedha. Rey smiled over the happy couple, surrounded by close friends and family. Another successful charge delivered into the light. 

 

As she prepared to leave, Rey felt the feathers on the back of her neck rise in alarm. She caught a sunbeam and materialized on Ben’s street just in time to see Ben fly over his handlebars. 

 

He’d been racing Poe Dameron home from school when he hit a rock and lost balance. Due to her intervention, he only broke his nose. Rey blamed Poe for coercing Ben into the race. The Dameron boy was impulsive, reckless, and not her charge to watch over. She had a word with Finn later that same day, requesting he get his child under control. 

 

On Ben’s thirteenth birthday, he asked the most popular girl in school, Bazine Netal, to his birthday and she shot him down in the middle of the cafeteria. He came home, ran past Artoo, and slammed his bedroom door shut before blasting angry rock music to cover his tears. While she was thankful it wasn’t a bodily injury, Rey maintained her post, kneeling aside of Ben until he quieted. 

 

When he was fifteen, his parents — whose marriage was crumbling — sent him to live with his uncle. For a time, it appeared that Luke got what he wanted. He attempted to teach Ben mindfulness, giving him breathing exercises, outdoor chores around his farm, and inviting him to participate in community yoga at the park. Ben wasn’t interested. 

 

He struggled with the change of schools. Poe Dameron may have been an impetuous influence, but he had also been Ben’s closest friend. Chandrila was hundred of miles from Ahch-To, where Luke lived. Even with texting and emails, it was difficult for the two to keep in touch. Rey reached out to Finn to try and work out summer vacation plans for the boys but Poe was starting baseball in the fall and had training camp. He couldn’t go on a road trip. 

 

Ben became withdrawn. Making friends was difficult for him. He was paralyzed by his fear of rejection, a fear his parents’ divorce and Poe’s inability to make visit only made worse. The Academy was an alternative school which Luke thought would help Ben address his insecurities. However, the only thing it managed to do was create a greater rift between Ben and his family. While Luke preached about mindfulness and the acceptance of all things, Ben grew angrier and more introverted. 

 

Rey ached for him. While she’d always kept her eye over him, she knew nothing hurt Ben as deeply as rejection. First his parents, then his friends, and finally his uncle. It was more than any person should have to endure. He needed light in his life so Rey granted him a gift — an artistic and steady hand. 

 

He started learning calligraphy, following a collection of old books that had somehow shown up in his room one day. In school and in front of Luke, Ben was rash and hot-headed. In his room, all by himself, he was calm, collected, and patient. He learned how to draw each letter, practicing it numerous times until he could draw the entire alphabet from memory. 

 

Then came the letters. 

 

Rey watched him as he discovered his affinity for words. It was slow at first — a line here or there, a scribbled thought — but eventually Ben became more confident. He started to carry around his notebook, taking it to school, on the bus, and even with him while he did his chores around the farm. Whenever and wherever inspiration struck, he had a pen ready and a fresh page. 

 

As he finished a poem, he’d open a separate notebook, one dedicated to his calligraphy, and rewrite the completed version in carefully crafted penmanship. Rey adored all of them, hailing them for the pieces of artwork that they were. 

 

With a little nudge, she influenced him to show them to his art teacher, who suggested he apply for the Batuu University art scholarship. Even though he was only sixteen, Ben applied. He and Luke celebrated when he was granted a five-thousand dollar scholarship, pending his acceptance. 

 

Rey spoke of his achievements to Finn, who in response, shared Poe’s victories on the baseball field. 

 

Things finally appeared to be turning around for Ben. 

 

That was when Han got sick. 

 

Luke and Ben left the day school let out. Neither spoke the entire drive to Chandrila. It wasn’t until Leia ushered them into the house that any words were exchanged. 

 

Han’s treatment was experimental and aggressive. The doctors were trying to beat the odds. Whether from the drugs or the fact the only person willing to take care of him was his ex-wife, Han was in a foul mood. Luke’s attempts to cheer him up with talk of ‘the good ‘ol days’ didn’t help. Neither did Leia’s lift on the household profanity ban. So Ben opened up his notebook and showed his father what he’d been awarded his scholarship for. 

 

“This is what you’ve been teaching my son, farm boy?” Han snapped at Luke without even glancing at his son. “What the hell is this worth? I’ll tell you what it’s worth. Nothing.”

 

Ben looked as though he’d been struck. Rey wrapped her wings around him and guided him out of the living room. She took him upstairs to his former bedroom, singing to him the same lullabies she had when he was a baby. He couldn’t see or hear her, of course, but the essence of her provided him comfort. When he slept that night, she wove him dreams of a future filled with a loving spouse who would support his art in a city of lights. 

 

That same evening, she also visited Luke to plant the idea of returning to Ahch-To. There was nothing either of them could do for Han. His pain was terrible yet it was no excuse for causing more pain. 

 

But when morning came, Luke didn’t take Ben back to the Academy. 

 

Instead, Han and Leia drove their son to First Order Preparatory, a military boarding school on the outskirts of Chandrila. Per the tri-fold brochure his father handed him, Ben learned that the First Order believed in six core values, illustrated by their hexagon logo. The values were: Respect, Integrity, Loyalty, Duty, Honor, and Accountability. 

 

“You’ll learn more here than on that blasted farm,” Han informed him as the car pulled up to the front of the school. Leia didn’t say anything. 

 

Ben resigned himself to his fate. 

 

Rey did what she always did. She watched.

 

And waited. 

 

* * *

 

The boarding school was dark. Most of the windows were clamped shut to block out the light. Rey regarded the building as a prison and her charge as an inmate. She strolled through the corridors, inspecting the institution which gave her more questions than answers.

 

When she came upon Ben’s room, Rey slipped inside, making sure both he and his roommate Armitage Hux were fast asleep. The redhead had his own misfortune, namely his unforgiving father. Rey had spoken to his angel a couple of times.

 

Rose was the embodiment of what a true guardian should be. She had shielded Armitage from the brunt of what his father, Brendol, had done. The only thing she hadn’t been able to prevent was Armitage’s mother’s death. 

 

Her passing had been a catalyst for the red-headed boy. He began acting out and eventually Brendol had thrown him into the First Order to get rid of him. What he didn’t know was that Armitage had applied for Takodana University and began working odd jobs on the weekend to pay his tuition. He wanted to be a teacher and the best program in the country was at Takodana.

 

Rey had hoped Armitage and Ben would become friends. While Ben’s background wasn’t quite the same as his roommate’s, tragedy ran through the Skywalker clan. Ben thought it was just him, just his crazy family. She wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.

 

Of course, both Armitage and Ben were emotionally stunted. Neither was willing to make the first move towards friendship. Rey was tired of waiting. So she visited Earth — First Order Prep in particular — and sought the boys out.

 

Their room was cloaked in night. Had she been a mere mortal her vision wouldn’t have allowed her to make out their sleeping forms.

 

Rey went to Ben’s bedside, her fingertips trailing across his forehead, tenderly brushing the wisps of black hair away from his face. As predicted, he was growing into a handsome man. Soon he’d find someone to love, someone to start a family with, grow old with, and then one day, he’d be called to her realm. His days on Earth would be over.

 

It was the curse of a mortal existence. A short life.

 

She bent down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The touch of her lips to his skin sent her wish for him — a wish for acceptance, for courage, and for trust. Ben desperately needed a friend and Rey would do everything in her power to give him that.

 

Straightening up, she gave him one final look before she exited the dorm as quietly as she had entered.

 

The hallways remained covered in the absence of moonlight. Rey made her way to the courtyard, missing the feel of the beams upon her.

 

“Foolish child,” a cruel voice hissed from the shadows.

 

Rey narrowed her eyes, her wings unfurling from behind her as she reached for her blade.

 

“Snoke.”

 

“Rey,” the demon greeted her with a sneer.

 

“You have no business here,” she spat.

 

The flames of her weapon ignited, serving as the only light between them. It was barely enough to illuminate the threat lingering in the dark.

 

“He is of Vader’s blood. He belongs to the dark,” Snoke insisted calmly.

 

“Anakin came back to the light. He wasn’t lost to us and Ben won’t be either,” Rey argued. “Not under my watch.”

 

“And what would you do?” Snoke inquired curiously. “Your power is limited by the light. You will never possess the ability to truly contend with me. You’ve already lost, _angelus paulo_.”

 

“I’ve lost nothing.” She bared her teeth, her grip on the hilt of her sword tightening.

 

“We shall see,” Snoke responded with a chuckle as dark as the night. He faded into the shadows, leaving her with the echo of his words.

 

“We shall see.”

 

* * *

 

The following day, Rey didn’t take her eyes off of Ben. She saw him approach Armitage during math class, watched as the two agreed to eat lunch together, and cheered in triumph when the two decided to study together in the library.

 

Ben had a friend. He had someone he could rely on, someone who would be able to support him when Leia’s calls angered him, and someone who could be the buffer in social situations. Ben tended to be awkward around people, especially when it was a large group. Rey blamed it on Leia and Han’s dysfunctional relationship and Luke’s lack of one. Regardless, Ben struggled to make connections but with Armitage, at least she could rest easy knowing he had at least one tie to the world.

 

It was the first stroke of good luck her ward had been granted. Rey observed how his mood picked up, pleased to see how well the two complimented each other. She was even more pleased when Snoke didn’t show his demonic face.

 

At least not right away. 

 

A few years later, when the boys were preparing to graduate, Rose found Rey. The normally bubbly angel was flustered to the point that she was molting.

 

“I’ll have his horns for this!” she threatened when she came upon Rey.

 

It was an old insult, one from centuries before when mankind thought the divine to be feathered, horned and tailed — like animals. Hearing Rose spit out each word startled Rey.

 

“What’s happened?”

 

“Snoke,” Rose groaned. “He has come for Armitage.”

 

Rey turned her attention to First Order Prep, relieved to note that Ben was unaffected. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Rose’s charge.

 

While Ben slept undisturbed in his bed, across the room his dorm mate writhed and clawed at his sheets, unable to escape the torment Snoke was inflicting. Rey’s protective personality flared to life, along with her flaming sword. Her sandaled feet were already lifting off when she felt Rose’s hand on her bare shoulder.

 

“You can’t get involved,” she warned.

 

“Why not?” Rey demanded.

 

“We can only whisper, plant the seed of a thought or action. We can never interfere with their lives. They were given free will, Rey,” Rose reminded her. “They make their own choices.” 

 

“This is a not a choice, Rose,” Rey responded. “Snoke is manipulating them when they are at their most vulnerable. Can’t you see how perverse his actions are?” She yanked away from her peer, intending to return to Earth. This time, Snoke wouldn’t slip away.

 

“Rey," Rose said her name flatly.

 

“I won’t remain idle when they need us,” Rey shot back.

 

“You’ll be punished,” her friend pointed out.

 

“If what I do is in the name of keeping them safe, how can I be punished? I’m doing what I’ve been charged to do,” she retorted defiantly as she tucked her sword away to prepare for her descent.

 

Rose didn’t have an answer for that. She moved aside, permitting Rey to dive to Earth.

 

The First Order was dark, as it had been before. Inkly blackness, richer than the endless void of the cosmos, painted the interior of the institution. Had Rey needed to breathe, any exhale of breath would have resulted in a puff of mist from the sudden drop in temperature. Unlike the welcoming warm light she surrounded herself with, the icy finger of death hung around those possessing demonic powers.

 

Rey’s feathers rustled behind her as she made her way towards the boy’s dorm room. The tiny cluster of plumage at the back of her neck shifted in alarm the nearer she drew to their door. A chill permeated the air, such a striking contrast to the temperature of the remainder of the First Order that if felt like a wall barring her from her charge.

 

Rey’s hand on her sword twisted along the hilt, fingers gripping the weapon with determination as she entered.

 

“Ah, young Rey,” the ancient demon greeted her from where he sat at the end of Armitage’s bed. “What an unexpected surprise.” His tone let her know her presence here was anything but unexpected.

 

“Get out,” she ordered. “You don’t belong here.”

 

Snoke stood, his beady black eyes filled with mirth. “On the contrary. I believe you’ll find it is you, _electi_ , who doesn’t belong.”

 

“I offered you a warning. If you remain here without cause, I will be forced to send you back from whence you came,” she declared.

 

“Without cause?” He snickered. “I have all the cause I need.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrowed and she unsheathed her sword. “I’ll only ask you once more. Leave this place.”

 

The space between them crackled like a thunderstorm, the heat of her gaze erupting against the frigid nature of the demon in front of her.

 

“No.”

 

With a cry, Rey lunged forward, swinging her fiery blade. Snoke sidestepped easily, chuckling as he dissolved into the shadows blanketing the dorm.

 

She spun around, searching the darkness for an incoming attack. The blunt end of a dagger slammed into the back of her head, causing her to stumble but her wings caught her. Remaining upright, she was prepared to dodge the follow-up strike — a slash across her abdomen. Had the blade pierced her, the wound would have been critical.

 

“You have passion.” Snoke’s voice filled the small space. “And the heart of a true guardian. It’s a pity I have to erase you from existence.”

 

Rey rolled across the floor, narrowly missing another swipe of his blade. She brought down her own over his, shoving the pair through the tile flooring until they were edged between layers of the building.

 

With Snoke bent over to maintain his hold on his weapon, Rey slammed her forehead against the demon. The pale beast howled, releasing his weapon as he staggered backward.

 

“Ben Solo is mine,” Rey snarled. “You will leave him _and_ his roommate alone.”

 

“You can’t stop me,” the demon spat. “The only way you can stop me is if you destroy me and we both know that it’s not your role. You’re an Angelus Praesidium. You don’t fight.” 

 

“That’s where you’re wrong,” she told him, her wings flaring out behind her. 

 

Snoke moved to strike her and Rey dropped to her knees, narrowly missing his strike so she could land her own, driving her flaming sword through his side. Surprise was etched on his features as he stared at her. Then just as quickly as he had manifested, he disintegrated, erased from existence by her efforts. 

 

The quiet which followed was eerie, but it didn’t last long. 

 

Rey was summoned to the heavens, ripped from Earth to appear before the Elder Angel Council. 

 

Snoke may have been vanquished but Rey felt a chill race down her spine. 

 

When she materialized in the council chamber, Rey was met by the seated members along with her brother and sister. Finn and Rose were stationed off to the side, not permitted to enter the inner circle of the room, a place reserved for those whose rank was to be elevated or for those who were to be punished.

 

Considering the grim expressions on the council member’s faces, Rey assumed she was the latter.

 

“Reina Luminis, Angelus Praesidium, do you know why you’ve been summoned here?” Windu addressed her first. 

 

“For Snoke.” She presented her sword to the council, as was custom. 

 

Billaba narrowed her eyes at the weapon. “And was this action provoked?”

 

“Yes,” Rey answered.

 

“Try to avoid conflict, did you?” Yoda questioned.

 

“My charge was in danger,” she responded.

 

The council members turned to one another, speaking in hushed murmurs. Rey watched them, unsure what their issue was with her fulfilling her role as a guardian.

 

“Rey, do you know what you’ve done?” Kenobi asked, disappointment clouding his normally relaxed gaze.

 

“Snoke targeted my charge. When I intervened, he went after one of Rose’s charges to—.”

 

“Do you hear yourself?” the elder angel demanded, his brow creased.

 

“Our role is to protect and guide our assignments. I fail to see the fault you find in my actions,” she argued.

 

“Rey," Kenobi said her name with a tired sigh. “We protect and guide from a distance. By your own admission, you intervened. You went against the warnings of your own sister.” Rey glanced at Rose, who avoided her, turning towards Finn. “And you destroyed a demon.”

 

She glared at her elder. “You say that like he wasn’t a monster; like he wasn’t responsible for what has happened to Ben Solo.” 

 

“I do not agree with their methods but their reach is the same as ours,” Kenobi stated evenly. “Humans were given free will. It is their choice whose influence they fall under.”

 

“And if the influence is forced upon them?” Rey challenged, her feathers rustling with her irritation.

 

“It is not your purpose to fight. You’re not a warrior like Yoda, Windu, or myself,” Kenobi reminded her. “Your weapons were given to you for protection, not to start a war.”

 

“I didn’t start the war,” Rey returned. “Snoke did. I just eliminated him before he could hurt anyone else.”

 

Kenobi shook his head. “Reina Luminis, Angelus Praesidium, you are no longer welcome in these hallowed halls. For your actions against the natural order of things, you are to be stripped of your wings and banished to Earth.”

 

“What?” she cried incredulously.

 

“Wait!” Rose rushed forward, her face filled with anguish.

 

“You can’t take her wings!” Finn protested at the same time.

 

“It has been decided,” Obi-Wan declared, unwavering in his judgment. He held out his hand, halting them in place.

 

“What about my charges? What about Ben?” Rey questioned. 

 

“They will be reassigned, Mr. Solo included,” Obi-Wan informed her.

 

“I want Rose to watch over him,” Rey insisted. “Please.”

 

“I’ll do it,” her sister immediately agreed, eyes shimmering as she stared at Rey. The tears never came. Angels didn’t weep. “I’ll watch him for the rest of his days,” Rose vowed.

 

Rey nodded in thanks, taking a step backward. “Then I accept.”

 

“May your life on Earth grant you the answers you seek,” Obi-Wan told her.

 

She gazed around her home one final time, committing the glorious light and warmth to memory. Then her wings were torn from her back and the floor disappeared beneath her feet.

 

And Rey fell. 

 

* * *

 

Cold.

 

Icy, terrible cold.

 

Rey woke with a gasp. Rain pelted her face where she lay on the unforgiving concrete. She blinked the droplets off her lashes, trying to focus. 

 

The battle.

 

The summons.

 

The council.

 

The judgment.

 

She sat up, hands reaching over her shoulders to feel nothing but air. Where her beautiful wings had once been, there was nothing. Pain filled her chest and a sob escaped her lips. Her feathers of gold and light were no more. Rey was nothing without them, not a guardian and certainly not an angel. 

 

Another sob broke free.

 

The chill of the night air pierced her mortal flesh. Rey wrapped her arms around herself, no longer possessing superior appendages to keep her warm and dry. Her hair hung heavy around her face, soaked through like her clothes.

 

Her silken robes had been replaced with coarse denim, a cotton blouse, and rudimentary shoes. She glared at the garments, annoyance burning through the cold. That was the only sensation Rey felt.

 

With a gasp, she clamped a hand over the back of her neck. They were gone. Her precious neck feathers, a small token of who she’d once been, had been removed along with her wings.

 

The heat of her frustration boiled into pure anger but once it crested, it simmered out, replaced by a new feeling. Uncertainty.

 

Throughout her existence, Rey had always known who she was and what she was meant to do. Being cast aside and made flesh like one of her charges erased that confidence. She had no purpose.

 

She was nothing.

 

_Rey._

 

She glanced around. All she could see was the darkened alleyway where she’d landed and part of the sidewalk ahead, illuminated by a street lamp.

 

 _Get up, Rey_ , the familiar voice encouraged her. 

 

“Finn?”

 

Rey looked around, trying to find her brother in the shadows. He wasn’t there.

 

_Get up._

 

 _Why bother?_ she thought petulantly.

 

 _He needs you_ , Finn replied.

 

Rey watched as the street lamp glowed slightly brighter.

 

“Who?”

 

There was no answer.

 

“Finn, who?”

 

Nothing.

 

Rey forced herself to stand. She had to grip the brick wall aside her to manage it. Her legs felt as weak as a baby deer’s limbs. Without the weight of her wings, she was off-balance, unsure how to move in her human form.

 

She landed on the concrete. This time she didn’t cry. 

 

Finn said someone needed her. Rey wasn’t sure what she could do to help in her pathetic state but she had been created to serve. That was what she would continue to do. Heavens be damned.

 

The blasphemous thought tugged the corners of her mouth into a smirk. They could strip her of her wings but they couldn’t take away her purpose. 

 

Rey tried again and again and again. When she was finally able to stand, she took a tentative step forward. Her body swayed but she caught hold of the brick, steadying herself. Leaning on the wall, Rey hobbled forward into the soft light of the street lamp.

 

The rain continued to pour down. She could hear it rushing into the gutter at the corner and splashing as cars drove along the road.

 

The area was familiar. Glancing over her shoulder she spotted the street’s name. Surabat Avenue was where Ben’s apartment was. He’d signed the lease the month after he got his acceptance letter to attend Batuu University. 

 

She followed the brick wall around to the front of the building, a small market called Black Spire Outpost. Inside, the shopkeeper was exchanging goods for payment, he and the customer unaware of their audience. 

 

Rey continued past the market, towards the next building, learning how to walk without the support of the wall. The foyer of the apartment complex was bathed in warm light, beckoning her inside. 

 

On shaky feet, Rey climbed the steps toward the entrance. She was convinced if she was here, Ben was the reason. She needed to get inside. She needed to make sure he was safe. Snoke was gone, but demons were a vengeful breed. 

 

Rey yanked on the handle. It wouldn’t budge. She pulled on it again, face pinched in concentration. Once again, it didn’t move. 

 

“Did you get locked out?” a voice behind her asked.

 

Rey turned around and there he was.

 

He looked the same as when she’d last laid eyes on him. His raven locks were perfectly coiffed beneath an equally black umbrella. His chocolate eyes were staring at her inquisitively while his full lips twitched as if he wasn’t sure whether to smile or not.

 

She opened her mouth to speak when he cut her off.

 

“It is you,” Ben breathed, eyes widening in awe. “I thought...I thought you were a dream.”

 

At his confession, Rey felt her chest tighten, though whether from anxiety or something else, she couldn’t be sure.

 

What she was sure of was how her failure to keep her presence unperceived would result in punishment. In all the millennia that she had served, since the beginning of time, Rey had never been brought before the council to stand trial for one of her actions. She’d been a pillar of excellence but breaking a cardinal rule of her role as a guardian could only end one way.

 

She swallowed nervously and took a step back.

 

“No.” Ben’s hand shot out, reaching for her. “Wait, I—.”

 

Rey didn’t linger to hear the rest of what he had to say. She shouldered past him and put as much distance between herself and him as possible. 

 

The tightness in her chest increased, gripping her delicate mortal form like a vice. She moved her arms to help maintain her balance as she moved until she was running. Running from the sensation and from the man who had caused it. Rey had an inkling what the feeling was but she chose to ignore it.

 

Because it was impossible.

 

An angel was meant to serve. It was their sole purpose. They didn’t feel. They didn’t live. They didn’t love.

 

The realization of what had happened — what she had allowed to happen — distracted her. The scenery blurred and she failed to notice how slick the ground was. When her foot landed on an uneven patch of pavement, Rey lost balance. Without her wings to hold her up, she pitched forward towards the black endless strip of the street.

 

Then someone caught her.

 

Someone with broad hands and a firm chest.

 

“I’ve got you,” Ben’s deep voice came from behind as he steadied Rey on her shaky legs.

 

It was the first time in the history of the universe that someone had saved a guardian angel. It was also the first time in her existence that Rey was afraid of a human. She’d always be interested in their emotions and revered their fragile beauty. 

 

Until now. 

 

Experiencing it herself gave her a different perspective. Rey hated how weak she was, not just in body but in spirit. One look from Ben Solo had been all it took. One glance from his captivating eyes and she lost herself. How could she be so foolish? Angels didn’t fall in love. Angels weren’t allowed to love. 

 

But she was an angel no more. She’d been cast out. 

 

Humans fell in love every day. Rey had seen it thousands of times before and she could see it happening now. She could _feel_ it. For the first time, she could feel the emotions she’d always wondered about. It was terrifying and wonderful all at once, like learning to fly for the first time. And she finally understood. 

 

Love was like a leap of faith. 

 

So she jumped…

 

...into Ben’s arms and let him carry her home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may or may not have started a second part to this from Ben's POV. Possible title 'Goodnight, my Angel'. Would anyone be interested in reading that?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 from Ben's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my thanks to [ RebelRebel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelRebel/pseuds/RebelRebel/works) for beta-ing this for me.

 

When Ben Solo was born, his life had already been decided for him. Everything from his career path to how he would serve his family’s legacy was laid out before him. Some people would do anything to be given such an effortless life, but to Ben, it felt like a noose.

 

Perhaps that was why he struggled so much to articulate what he did want. Communication had never been his strong suit, which was why when he saw her — the girl from his dreams (or at least that’s what he thought they were) — Ben frightened her.

 

He hadn’t meant to practically scream at her. She’d caught him off guard, and for someone who stood over six feet tall, that was no small feat. But that’s what she was.

 

Small. Fragile. Delicate.

 

Droplets of rain clung to her thick lashes as she stared up at him, her hazel eyes filled with surprise and a hint of familiarity.

 

He’d been bewitched by her beauty, unable to stop himself from reaching out to her.

 

Then she ran.

 

Her gait was uneven as if her legs were threatening to give out. A protectiveness Ben had never felt before bloomed to life. Before he even realized what he was doing, Ben was running after her. There wasn’t a power in the universe that could stop him.

 

Because whoever she was — this mystery woman he’d seen countless times in his dreams — it didn’t matter. She was meant to be with him.

 

When she fell into his arms, he couldn’t explain why it felt so right. He couldn’t understand how this nameless person made him feel whole. Ben didn’t question it. He just took her home.

 

By the time he got them inside, they were both soaked through. He kicked his apartment door open, unwilling to let her go. Her hands were clinging to his shoulders, one of the few indications she gave him that she was aware of what was happening.

 

Once they were safe inside, Ben begrudgingly set her down. As he secured the locks, her eyes scanned every square inch of his space, curious but not frightened.

 

“Uh, the shower is in through there,” he offered, pointing at the short hallway leading away from his living room and kitchen area. “I’ll get you some dry clothes.”

 

Wordlessly, she went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Ben listened for the click of the lock but it never came. He released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. She wasn’t afraid of him.

 

He went to his bedroom to locate something she could wear. She was so tiny. He didn’t think anything he owned would actually fit but at least with sweat pants she’d be able to tighten the drawstring.

 

Ben wondered how she had ended up on his porch steps, drenched and skittish like an abandoned kitten. He decided to ask her once she came out.

 

Except she didn’t.

 

He waited in the hallway, his clothes dripping until a puddle encircled his feet. She’d been in there so long that the water had to have turned cold.

 

Ben knocked. “Is everything okay?”

 

No answer.

 

“Are you still showering?”

 

Nothing.

 

“Alright, I’m going to count to ten and then I’m coming in,” he announced. There was no response. Once he finished counting, Ben swallowed nervously and pushed open the door.

 

His heart sunk.

 

The girl was seated on the shower floor, clutching her knees to her chest, head bowed with her hair hiding her face like a curtain. He couldn’t see her cheeks but from the way her shoulders shook, Ben knew she was crying.

 

He grabbed a towel and knelt by her. When he reached behind her to turn the water off, she stiffened. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Whoever hurt you, they won’t get you again, alright? You’re safe here. I’ll watch over you.”

 

Suddenly, her hazel orbs — the ones he had been mesmerized by as a child — were staring at him with such intensity he had the impulse to look away.

 

He didn’t.

 

“Ben.”

 

His breath left him with a _whoosh_. She knew his name.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t have come here.”

 

His surprise was secondary to his inane need to protect her.

 

“You can stay here as long as you need to,” he immediately offered.

 

She stared at him wide-eyed and innocent, like a child.

 

His offer was ironic, considering he’d never cared for anything before, not even a house plant. He’d never been given the opportunity to learn how. His parents weren’t around. His nannies had been irresponsible at best, negligent at worst. Still, her reaction convinced him she had nowhere else to go. Ben wouldn’t sleep if he couldn’t be sure she was safe.

 

It was at that point he realized she was naked.

 

Heat bloomed across his face, climbing up to the tops of his ears. “Uh, here.” He thrust a towel at her, averting his eyes.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He heard her feet squeak on the shower floor as she stood. Then she was taking the towel from him to wrap around her lithe form.

 

“Ben?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What are you doing?”

 

He ventured a glance to see her studying him curiously. “Um, I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he said while gesturing to the towel. “You know, without clothes.”

 

The corner of her lips tugged upwards. “I forgot how prude you mortals are.”

 

He knit his brows, wondering what she meant. Ben shook it off as he stood up, blaming her accent. She probably just misspoke.

 

“I feel weird that you know my name and I don’t know yours,” he remarked, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

“I’m Rey,” she offered with a small smile.

 

_Rey._

 

When she said it, he felt something inside him click, like a piece of a puzzle falling into place. The name fit her perfectly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Rey.”

 

Ben gave her a hand out of the shower, leading her to his bedroom where he had laid out the set of clean, dry clothes.

 

“I’m going to shower quick and then I can order us some dinner if you’re hungry,” he proposed. 

 

“Hungry,” she said the word as though she was trying it out.

 

“I know it’s late but I haven’t eaten. Have you?”

 

“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Never.”

 

_Strange._

 

Like before, he shook it off as no more than a slip of the tongue.

 

“There’s an excellent Thai place around the corner. I’ll give them a ring as soon as I hop out. Sound good?”

 

Rey nodded.

 

Ben watched her slowly step into his room, cautiously, like she wasn’t familiar with the idea of a home. Her eyes were filled with childlike wonder at everything — the old lamp on his bedside table, the scratchy fabric of the blanket his landlady Maz had gifted him, and even the photos on his dresser. Her fingers skimmed over each item while she silently assessed them. 

 

Another oddity for him to consider during his shower.

 

He left her to settle in, his mind filling with more and more questions as he waited for his water to come to temperature.

 

* * *

 

Never must have meant a long time, because, despite her size, Rey packed away food with abandon. She ate her entire portion of Lhad Nha and the rest of his Udon, plus nearly all the curry puffs he ordered. She was a bottomless pit.

 

But a cute bottomless pit.

 

He handed her a napkin, dabbing at his chin with one of his own to subtlety tell her why. Her cheeks colored again as she wordlessly followed his guidance.

 

Quietly, she helped him dispose of the take-out containers which led Ben to the next issue.

 

“You can sleep in my bed — erm, the bed,” he quickly corrected himself. “I’ll take the couch.”

 

Rey’s brow furrowed. “We aren’t sleeping together?”

 

He could hear his heart. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum. It grew louder and louder while his face grew redder and redder. Was she serious?

 

“Ben?” She pressed a hand to his cheek. “Are you alright?”

 

“Fine,” he half-screamed as he stumbled backward. Rey’s eyes widened. “I’m fine,” he repeated softer. “Just tired. Do you need anything before I go to sleep?”

 

She shook her head, still watching him curiously.

 

“Alright, then. I’ll see you in the morning.” He gave her a little wave, inwardly cringing at his own cowardice. “Goodnight, Rey.”

 

“Goodnight, Ben.”

 

* * *

 

_Someone was singing while their fingers carded through his hair. Ben blinked the sleep away, gazing up into a warm, golden light. It felt peaceful, welcoming and he was drawn towards it._

 

_As he sat up, his vision focused on the silhouette of the singer, a woman sitting by his bedside. A woman with chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes._

 

_It was her._

 

_Rey._

 

_The song was familiar but he wasn’t interested in the words. He was interested in her. There was something different about her appearance. Her face looked the same, more at ease than when he’d found her outside but no less beautiful. And the light was coming from her. It hung over her like a golden cloak._

 

_But it wasn’t a cloak._

 

_It was wings._

 

* * *

 

Ben jolted awake, his face covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his T-shirt sticking to his chest. His labored breathing was the only sound within the apartment, which was pitch black. He checked his phone.

 

It was after midnight.

 

He ran a hand through his hair. The vision of Rey was burned into his mind. He’d suspected all these years that she’d been a dream, merely a pleasant image his subconscious crafted to help him through difficult times. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

 

Cautiously, he rose from the couch and crept to his room. She’d left the door ajar, giving him a clear view of her sleeping form, curled in on herself at the edge of the bed.

 

Once again, he was struck by how small she was, so slight and delicate like a flower. Yet he felt there was a power within her, one that was not to be underestimated.

 

Just like how he’d felt in his dream, he was drawn to her and before he realized what was happening he was kneeling beside her, a mirror image of what she’d done for him countless times before.

 

A tendril of hair bisected her face, partially hiding her from him. Ben tenderly tucked it away so he could study her unhindered.

 

It was crazy to think she was anything but a regular human. Mortal. That had been her term. He’d thought it odd before, but now...

 

...was there truth to her strange behavior?

 

Gently, Ben placed his hand on her back and ran it along the length of her spine. There were no ridges or bumps, no physical evidence to support his assumption.

 

It was just a dream, he reasoned.

 

“Ben?”

 

He jumped, withdrawing his hand immediately.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice full of concern for him. It made him ashamed of his actions.

 

“I — uh...” he trailed off, not knowing how to respond. How could he lie to her? He couldn’t. Not when she was gazing at him with her doe eyes, as if he was as pure as the light she surrounded herself with.

 

“I’m sorry I failed you,” Rey apologized.

 

“What?”

 

“I should have intervened sooner,” she explained. “If I had, Snoke wouldn’t have tormented you and your friend, Hux.”

 

Ben stared at her. Her lower lip was trembling and her hands were clenching the sheets tightly. She was upset, perhaps even nervous, waiting for him to respond to her admission.

 

It was crazy.

 

But it was _true_.

 

“Your wings?”

 

Her voice cracked as she spoke. “They were removed before I fell.”

 

“Removed?”

 

“Taken,” she clarified. “I was punished, banished to Earth to live a mortal life for my indiscretion.”

 

“What indiscretion?”

 

She blinked and a fresh tear rolled down her cheek as she looked away. Ben felt his stomach clench.

 

“You,” she replied softly. “Saving you.”

 

He sunk onto the bed next to her. The weight of his revelation felt heavy on his shoulders. Beyond the fact that angels were real and one was sitting in his bed, sleeping in his clothes, there was the more startling realization that she’d given it all up.

 

For him.

 

Rey had been hurt, cast out, and forgotten — yet the only thing she could think to say to him was that she was sorry. She was all alone, probably frightened and unsure of what to do, but she was worried about him. 

 

Him. Ben Solo. Walking human disaster. 

 

That was what he couldn’t wrap his mind around. 

 

She could have been an alien from another planet or a sea serpent from the darkest depths of the ocean. She could have been a monster. Ben wouldn’t have cared because the only thing that mattered was that she was real and she was here.

 

With him.

 

“I…I can’t keep you safe anymore,” she told him, more tears rolling down her face. 

 

He pulled her close, enveloping her in a hug. “I’ll take care of you,” he vowed. “You’ve taken care of me my whole life. Now it’s my turn.”

 

“I don’t know anything about being on Earth. I can’t _do_ anything,” Rey cried. “I’m nothing.” 

 

“You’re not nothing. Not to me,” Ben hugged her tighter, feeling her tears soak through his shirt. 

 

“What am I going to do?” she asked, uncertainty tainting her voice. 

 

The same surge of protectiveness filled him and he began forming a plan. “I’ll teach you,” Ben promised. “We’ll figure things out. Together.”

 

* * *

 

The following morning, Ben began making a list of everything they needed to do. Originally, he’d planned to spend his summer canvassing the area for the best coffee, tracking the time it took to drive to Takodana where Hux was and avoiding his family. However, Rey’s appearance derailed all of those things, especially the last item. The more he thought about it, the more Ben realized he’d need his mother’s help.

 

To the world, Rey didn’t exist. She didn’t possess a birth certificate, a passport, or a driver’s license. Without the proper documentation, she couldn’t apply for a job, go to school, or travel. Not legally, anyway.

 

He was positive Senator Organa could secure the paperwork Rey required for citizenship. He was also sure that his mother would manipulate his need for that paperwork in a way that benefited her.

 

But he had no choice.

 

After breakfast, Ben took Rey to the bus depot and they went to Coruscant to visit his mother.

 

It was a risk to bring her along, but he was afraid to leave her alone. She’d been so scared the night prior, so broken. He understood that feeling all too well. Ben wouldn’t abandon her.

 

Coruscant was much larger than Batuu. The impressive skyline of massive structures was visible before they reached the city’s outskirts. Rey peered out the window at the shimmering collection of silver steel buildings.

 

“It’s beautiful,” she remarked.

 

Ben shrugged. “It’s the city. It looks beautiful from far away but up close it’s a mess. You’ll see.”

 

Rey chewed on her lower lip. He took her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the entire time.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

They sat in silence the remainder of the ride, Rey’s hand securely in Ben’s.

 

The bus dropped them off a few blocks from the government buildings. Ben didn’t mind. He needed to stretch his legs after the trip. Still holding Rey’s hand, he guided her along the sidewalk towards his mother’s office.

 

Senator Organa was situated in a large building on the corner of Third Street. The dark wood accents and contrasting white marble gave the location a royal feel. Ben would have rolled his eyes if he wasn’t trying to remain calm. Getting upset would only make Rey more nervous.

 

The security guards in the lobby recognized him and waved them both through, directing Ben to the elevator bank. 

 

When he and Rey entered the main office, his mother’s assistant, Kaydel Connix, mistook them for supporters. She insisted Leia was too busy for an impromptu visit.

 

“If you leave your contact information, I can mail you out a signed copy of her book,” Kaydel offered. 

 

“Don’t bother,” Ben replied, annoyed. “I already have half a dozen copies in my apartment.” 

 

The blonde blinked, confused. 

 

Ben scoffed. “Can you please inform my mother that her only child needs to speak to her?” 

 

“Oh! Um..., of course,” Kaydel said, hastily typing away at her computer before pressing the intercom. “Senator Organa?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I have your son and his friend here to see you.”

 

“Ben?”

 

“Hi, mom,” Ben called into the intercom, cutting off Kaydel before she could respond.

 

“Send him in.”

 

“Thank you,” Rey said, as she passed, gracing the blonde with a grateful smile. 

 

Ben noticed Kaydel‘s surprise and how her eyes lingered on where their hands were joined. He glided past the assistant’s desk without another glance.

 

“Well, this is a surprise,” his mother greeted them as they entered.

 

She didn’t rise to meet him and Ben didn’t extend a hand to her. They merely stared at one another, as if they were opponents meeting for a match instead of family.

 

“I suspect if you’re here, it’s because you need something,” she surmised. Her eyes flickered to Rey for a moment before settling back on his face. 

 

“My...” he paused to find the right word, “friend needs help.”

 

“What kind of help?”

 

“I was banished from—.”

 

“Her home,” Ben finished for Rey, cutting her off before she could reveal too much. Could angels lie? Probably not.

 

“She’s a refugee,” he explained the situation in the best way he could without mentioning the fact Rey was an angel cast out. “Can you obtain papers for her?”

 

Leia scrutinized them both, silent as her eyes roamed, searching for a crack in their story. “That’s out of my purview. You’ll have to contact someone in foreign affairs to get in touch with the British Consulate,” she stated.

 

“She’s not British,” Ben corrected.

 

“My apologies,” his mother returned, her tone anything but apologetic.

 

“Thank you,” Rey responded, giving the Senator the same genuine smile she’d bestowed upon Kaydel.

 

Ben took a deep breath. “Mom, I’m asking you for assistance. Can you help us or not?”

 

Leia’s eyes narrowed. “Miss?”

 

“Rey,” his former guardian angel supplied.

 

“Rey,” Leia repeated with mock politeness. “Could you please give me a minute alone with my son?”

 

“Of course,” Rey agreed. Releasing Ben’s hand, she stood up and walked to the door. He reached for her, immediately anxious without her near.

 

“You don’t have to—,” Ben started before turning back to his mother. “She doesn’t have to leave.”

 

“It’s fine,” Rey assured him. Then she left him alone with his mother.

 

His mother who was glaring at him the way she’d done when he broke her favorite vase.

 

“Benjamin Organa Solo,” she sighed disappointingly.

 

“What?” he snapped. 

 

“What?” Leia cried in disbelief. “That girl is a scam artist. I’ll admit, she’s very good, one of the best I’ve seen, in fact, but she isn’t whoever she claims to be.”

 

“How could you say that?”

 

“How? Ben, did you hear yourself just now? You came to the capital to obtain legal documents for a full-grown woman who apparently has none,” she pointed out.

 

“So?”

 

“So? It’s an election year and you are my son. Did you ever pause to think she’s using you?”

 

Ben felt white-hot rage tear through him. His mother didn’t trust him, her own son, her flesh and blood. “This was a mistake,” he told her as he rose from his seat.

 

“Yes,” Leia agreed. “I’m glad you see that now.”

 

“No,” he clarified. “Coming to you was a mistake. I should have known you wouldn’t understand.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You never understood. So why start now?”

 

Ben shook his head and left, ignoring Leia’s shouts and Rey’s worried expression. He managed to hold himself together until they reached the bus. Then he cried.

 

Rey held his hand the entire ride home.

 

* * *

 

The following day, Ben decided to try a less likely option — an old family friend, Maz Kanata. Maz owned a tea shop in Takodana not far from the campus where Hux would be starting in the fall. Ben gave his friend a call, making plans to meet up with him for dinner after he visited the tea shop with Rey. He was hoping their discussion with Maz would end better than the disastrous interlude with his mother. 

 

He wasn’t disappointed. 

 

“Ben Solo!”

 

Rey flinched from the volume the tiny woman reached. Ben wrapped an arm around her, guiding her inside the shop.

 

“Hey, Maz,” he greeted her with a sheepish wave.

 

The owner of the establishment came forth, dressed in a blue thermal long-sleeved t-shirt and long pants despite the summer heat. She was grinning as she hugged him, but that grin changed the second she spotted Rey.  

 

“Who’s the girl?” she asked with a mischievous, albeit knowing look in her eyes. 

 

“This is Rey,” Ben introduced her. “She’s staying with me.”

 

“Child, let me look at you.” Maz took Rey’s hands in her own, peering up into the young woman’s hazel eyes from behind her thick spectacles. Ben stepped aside, letting Maz do...well whatever it was Maz was capable of doing.

 

“You’re far from home,” the tea shop owner stated after a moment. She tilted her head, studying Rey. “Hmm, you need help to find your place, the belonging you seek.”

 

Rey nodded.

 

Maz grinned. “Good thing you came to me,” she announced. “Come along.” She tugged Rey through the shop, ignoring her other customers to lead them to the back room. Ben could barely keep up, surprised at the fervor the old woman possessed. “Keep up, Solo.”

 

“Yes, ma'am.”

 

“Pfft, none of this ma'am business. What do you think? I’m old or something?” Maz chided him as she slammed the door shut behind them.

 

Rey giggled, turning away to hide her laughter in her shoulder. 

 

Maz shook her head at them. “Haven’t seen a fallen angel in decades,” she muttered to herself as she wandered about her office. She slipped between her desk and a wall of cabinets.

 

Ben glanced at Rey and found her staring at him with a startled expression. “You mean you know who she is? _What_ she is?”

 

“Was,” Rey corrected, sullenly.

 

“Is,” Maz insisted, rooting around in a filing cabinet until she produced a thick Manila folder. “Just because you are mortal now doesn’t mean you aren’t still an angel.”

 

“Actually, that’s _exactly_ what it means,” Rey replied with more snark than Ben thought she had in her. After all, she was meant to be made of holy light and ethereal power. It seemed, however, that some of his mannerisms were rubbing off on her. She sat, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. “I lost my wings.”

 

“Ah.” Maz reached across her desk to cup Rey’s chin in her hand. “But not your spirit. You’re still a guardian. You can still fight.”

 

“Guardian?” Ben questioned.

 

“There are classes of angels,” Maz explained to him. “Your girlfriend was a guardian. Your guardian, if I’m not mistaken.” Rey nodded in confirmation. “And now you get the rare opportunity to pay it forward.” 

 

“How do you know that?” Ben questioned in disbelief.

 

Maz stared at him with an expression he couldn’t name. “Because your grandfather was one. He fell to protect your grandmother.”

 

Ben felt a chill settle in his bones. “But my grandparents died in a car accident,” he argued.

 

“Bail and Breha raised your mother but they weren’t her biological parents,” Maz explained. “Your true grandfather, by blood, was Anakin Skywalker. He fell in love with his charge, had a relationship with her, and was cast out for his indiscretion.”

 

The cold swept through him, causing his chest to tighten. Indiscretion. Wasn’t that what Rey had called him? 

 

He swallowed, throat bobbing nervously. Did that mean that Rey loved him? Ben chanced a look at her. She was flushed, staring at her hands in her lap.

 

“Things were easier to fabricate and steal back then, but I can help you. Both of you,” Maz promised. 

 

“Thank you,” Rey spoke softly.

 

“Of course, dear,” she grinned at the young girl. “In the meantime, you can work here with me at the tea shop. I’ll help you get acclimated to mortal life.”

 

Ben began to object, “You don’t have to—.”

 

Maz silenced him by handing him a stack of papers and a pen. “I’m going to show Rey around. You stay here, Solo. Fill these out and I’ll take care of the rest.”

 

She led Rey from the room. 

 

Ben turned over the first page, grumbling as he did what she instructed. 

 

* * *

 

In the month she’d been on Earth, Rey adapted from the weak-legged, soaked bag of bones Ben had found on his doorstep. She was a fast learner, quick to absorb any and all information provided to her.

 

They started small.

 

Ben showed Rey how to make cereal (which happened to be his favorite meal), how to use electronics and the importance of locking doors — including the bathroom door.

 

Clothing was a struggle. Fashion, while fascinating, was a difficult concept for Rey to grasp. When he asked her about white togas and gold sandals, she stared at him as though he’d grown an extra head. Once they got past the day-to-day items, the real work began. With Maz’s help, Ben began teaching Rey about society, including the complex dynamics of politics, media, and social networking. 

 

Unlike him, she had a knack for speaking with people. The connections she made were instantaneous as if Rey possessed some supernatural ability, but Ben knew it was just her personality. Her golden wings were gone but Rey’s light still shone. The customers at Maz’s shop had taken an immediate liking to her, as illustrated by the increasing number of tips she brought home each week.

 

Ben was proud of her. She was growing each day. The longer she was with him, the more human she became. It was all too easy to forget how she’d come into his life. After all, she’d always been there in one capacity or another. 

 

Rey’s presence in his life forced him to grow. She made friends with two of her regulars, Batuu sophomores Gwen Phasma and Dolph Mitaka. With Ben’s permission, she invited them to the apartment. Ben soon found himself with a phone full of contacts instead of only take-out restaurants and Hux. 

 

Making friends wasn’t the only thing Rey taught Ben. Slowly, in such a natural way that neither of them noticed, the two began to drift together until the line between roommate and friend blurred with something else. Something more. 

 

Then one night, while they were watching a movie, Ben looked over at Rey. She was looking at him and before he couldn’t work up the nerve to do something about it, she leaned in and kissed him. It was brief, barely more than a peck, but Ben felt his entire body flush, his cheeks burning so hot that he blurted out the only thing he could think of.

 

“Wanna go for a walk?” Rey stared up at him quizzically. “It’s a nice night out,” he added, trying to control the tremor in his voice. 

 

“Alright,” she agreed. 

 

Hand in hand, they left the apartment, walking in the direction of the tea shop. 

 

One second she was next to him and the next she was crying out as she was torn from his grasp. Ben turned around just in time to see the night closing in around her, ensnaring her in shadow as it dragged her towards the alleyway.

 

Her hazel eyes were wide with fear and her hands reached out for him, desperately clawing for freedom.

 

“Rey!”

 

He raced after her, heart thundering in his chest as he watched her bronze skin consumed by the dark. There was no assailant, only an inky blackness surrounding her paired with a chill colder than the lowest temperatures of winter.

 

Ben shivered as his mind supplied the answer to his unasked question.

 

_Demon._

 

It was impossible. But so was harboring a former angel.

 

“Let her go,” he demanded the indistinguishable darkness.

 

Suddenly, the shadows solidified and a man — or what appeared to be a man — stood in its place. He had one arm locked around Rey’s waist and the other on her throat, choking the air from her lungs.

 

“I was going to end her first and then claim you, but this works too,” the demon crooned.

 

He released Rey, who collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The man smirked at Ben before dissolving once more in the dark.

 

His black silhouette swirled like a hurricane, collecting shadows from the alleyway before surging forward like a spinning top. Ben stumbled backward, hitting the wall as he evaded the attack.

 

Ben threw a punch at him, only to find that his hand sliced through the air. It was as if the demon didn’t exist.

 

Except he did.

 

Because he was back in human form stalking towards Ben with a malicious glare. Scrambling toward the street, Ben headed for the light of the streetlamp, only to have the lightbulb flicker out, casting him back into the dark.

 

“Leave him alone!” Rey screamed as she slammed a trashcan lid across the demon’s back.

 

The demon hissed, spinning around to slam into her. Rey was knocked off balance and before she could recover her footing, the demon descended upon her as black mist, tangling around her limbs to trap her against the wall.

 

“You can’t kill me,” the demon spat, materializing once more. “You’re no longer a guardian.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrowed. “I may no longer be a guardian but I can still fight.” 

 

Ben took his chance to tackle the man to the ground. He ended up hitting the pavement alone, the demon cackling from where he now stood behind Ben.

 

“I expected more from the true heir of Vader,” the demon scoffed. “No matter. Once I have claimed your soul for the dark, I can mold you to my will.”

 

“I won’t let you have him, Palpatine,” Rey seethed from where she was bound to the wall.

 

“You’ve already lost him, foolish girl.”

 

He approached Ben, muttering in Latin with his hand outstretched.

 

“Ben!” Rey locked eyes with him. 

 

She inclined her head to where the discarded trash can lid was filling up with water from the apartment’s rain spout. Rolling across the cement, Ben dodged the demon to grab the lid. He shoved past Palpatine and brought the water to her.

 

Rey began speaking rapidly in Latin, repeating the same phrase over and over again. Until her eyes widened and she ordered, “Now!”

 

Ben threw the water onto the demon, who immediately began howling. Rey fell free from the wall, dropping into Ben’s arms. He let the lid clatter to the ground so he could catch her.

 

Startled, they both watched the shadows recede until only the night was left. The night and nothing more.

 

* * *

 

Maz was strange and, at times, frustrating, but she delivered. As promised, once she received everything, she summoned them. They agreed to come in after closing time to avoid interruptions while they reviewed Rey’s documents.

 

They met in the backroom, where Maz emptied a large padded envelope onto her desk. Everything Rey needed to prove her citizenship was included. Ben breathed a sigh of relief, glad to finally have a sense of security around Rey’s presence in his life.

 

“Now you can do whatever you want,” Maz informed Rey. “Learn to drive, get a fishing license, hop on a plane and see the world.”

 

Ben’s good mood evaporated. This was what he feared more than Snoke’s torment, more than his parents’ disappointment, and more than fighting a demon in a darkened alleyway. Losing Rey was not something he could cope with. But if she chose to leave, he wouldn’t stop her.

 

He loved her.

 

“I’m fine here,” Rey replied with a kind smile. “Besides, who will help you run the shop?” she teased. 

 

“I handled it fine before you dropped out of the sky,” Maz said, jokingly. “Don’t stay on my account.”

 

“I won’t,” Rey promised. “I’m staying for me because I finally found where I belong. Here.” She turned to face Ben, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears when she added, “With you.” 

 

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Together?”

 

She nodded, hugging him back. “Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> Check out the 'Sanctified' video by RebelRebel [HERE](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/post/185897764082/sanctified-a-reylo-one-shot-rey-has-always)


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